Of Augments and Doctors
by The Tiny Dangerous One
Summary: An unexpected accident causes one of the cryo pods to open. The crew of the Enterprise rush to contain the problem, but soon find that this Augment is nothing like they expected. Rating may go up. Co-written with a friend. Kirk/OC and Khan/OC
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, if you damage one of those things, you'll be personally responsible for whatever comes out of it!"

The voice echoed through the empty hanger. Several cryogenics pods were slowly being lowered onto the concrete floor, and several more were already in place. The pods were being moved to a new location after their old storage facility was recently requisitioned.

"Sorry ma'am," the cadet apologized, steading the cryo pod he had inadvertently set swinging with his head.

"Damn right you're sorry," the woman muttered to herself. Lieutenant Wendy Cole was the science officer in charge of moving what were considered 73 of the most dangerous human beings–currently frozen–to their new location. The process was taking the better part of the day and so far gone off without a hitch. And she intended to keep it that way.

Once all of the pods were in place, she went down the rows. Personally inspecting each pod for damage and double-checking the health of the people inside. She checked her watch. It was almost 5 o'clock. That meant she had been at this for almost 10 hours. Heaving a frustrated sigh, she went over to the main power switch. Just as she was about to flip it and be done for the day, a voice drifted over from the open doorway.

"Dr. Cole?"

In the doorway stood two men. Wendy guessed they were in their late 20s or early 30s, and both quite attractive. One was clearly a Vulcan, the other human. Wendy recognized them immediately. While they were both fairly young officers, they had quite the reputation.

"Captain Kirk," she greeted, a bit surprised. "And Commander Spock. To what do I owe this surprise visit?"

"Sorry," Kirk apologized with a flirtatious smile. "We just wanted to check on your progress and see if you maybe needed a few extra hands."

Wendy smiled back, catching the First Officer rolling his eyes as she did so. She led the two men up and down the rows of cryo pods, recounting the day's events.

"I just finished checking these guys. Everyone seems to be in perfect health, and all of the cryo pods are in excellent shape considering they're 300 years old. I did discover an interesting failsafe that seems to be programed into each cryo pod. Apparently if any of them are heavily damaged, the reanimation sequence will automatically start, preventing the person inside from dying."

"That doesn't sound good," Kirk frowned.

"It's brilliant, actually, very innovative for its time."  
"Whatever you say. . . ."

"What about Khan?" Spock interrupted. "Any signs of life from his cryogenics pod?"

Dr. Cole tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and shook her head, "None at all."

The two men nodded and, after a few more questions, took their leave. What they didn't notice was a small crack in one of the pods. And it was growing.

* * *

The crack grew rapidly during the night. It wasn't long until a soft beep would have been heard in the hanger; if anyone had been around to hear it. The cryo pod's fail-safe had been activated and within a few minutes, the woman inside would wake up.

The top to the cryo pod hissed slightly as it opened and, for the first time in over 300 years, the woman opened her eyes. Sitting up, she scanned the darkness for any potential threats. Finding none, she climbed out of the pod and got to work. There was someone she needed to find.

As she moved around the hanger, her movements triggered a silent motion sensor alarm. Somewhere on the premises, a team was mobilizing. A squad of highly trained Starfleet officers were preparing to face off against their biggest threat.

The woman found what she was looking for. Crouching low, she studied the man inside the cryo pod. Her heart fluttered and she smiled at the thought of seeing him again. Of hearing his voice and feeling his touch. Deft fingers quickly punched in the sequence for reanimation. Now all she had to do was wait a few more minutes.

There was a click behind her; a phaser's safety being switched off.

"Don't move."

The woman raised her hands, turning slowly to the men behind her. Six men, all armed with phasers, were staring her down. She smirked; this would be easy.

"Turn it off," one of the men barked, gesturing toward the cryo pod with his phaser.

"No," she replied smoothly. Her voice was light, as if she was completely unfazed by the situation. Because she was.

"Turn it off, or I blow away one of your friends."

The man pointed his phaser at a nearby cryo pod, finger on the trigger. He held his ground as her eyes bore into him. The woman frowned. He meant what he said, and there was no way to know if the weapon could actually penetrate the glass and kill the person inside. It was a risk she wasn't willing to take. Slowly she leaned over, and powered down the pod.

* * *

Wendy practically ran down the hallway of hospital. She figured she should be nervous; one of the Augments had woken up on her watch, even after she had personally declared the cryo pods to be in perfect working order. And yet . . . she couldn't help feeling excited. She had studied these people for years, they were even the subject of her doctoral thesis. And now she had the chance to talk to one. She skidded to a stop just outside of the room she was looking for. It was easy to spot, with two guards posted outside the door and six more inside.

"I'm sorry," one of the guards in the hallway addressed her politely. "But we can't let you in at this time."

"All of those people are my responsibility. I want to know if she's alright."

"I'm sorry, but my orders–"

"It's alright," a voice called from in the room. "She isn't resisting right now."

Wendy slipped inside before the two guards could even react. Sitting on the edge of the bed was a woman, her piercing green eyes were studying the med scanner with mild curiosity. She glanced over as Wendy entered the room, causing the doctor to look up as well.

"Dr. Cole," he greeted.

"Dr. McCoy," she returned. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"Since I was the person to examine one of these freaks the last time, they asked me to come examine the patient."

Dr. Cole glared at his terminology, and the woman turned back to stare at McCoy. He shifted uncomfortably.

"Would you stop that?" he snapped. "It's freaking me out."

"Freaks, huh?" the woman narrowed her eyes accusingly. "It's nice to know people haven't changed in the past three hundred years."

Everyone in the room stared.

"It's not polite to call someone a freak. Especially when you don't know them," she continued. "And from the warm reception, I can guess one of two things happened. Either Starfleet still has standing orders on how to deal with us, which is highly unlikely three hundred years later. Or someone else woke up."

"Yeah," Dr. McCoy answered. "Khan. The man you were trying to wake up."

The woman smirked, but just as she was about to reply, Krik and Spock rushed into the room.

"How the hell did this happen?!" Kirk demanded, stalking toward Dr. Cole. She glared at him, not appreciating his tone of voice.

"Apparently her cryo pod had a minute fracture in the glass. It must have expended to the point that the failsafe was tripped."

"How could you miss something like that?"

"I realize that those people are my responsibility, but sometimes shit happens. It's entirely possible that the fracture was so small that it didn't register on the scanners. Technology isn't infallible, you know."

The captain of the Enterprise stared at her, utterly confused. He couldn't remember the last time a woman had snapped at him like that. They usually melted into goo when they saw him. And to make matters even worse, Spock seemed to agree with her.

"That is a possibility," the Vulcan said. "But no matter what actually happened, fact remains that another one of the superhumans is awake."

Kirk floundered a bit to regain his bearings and said, "Well, fine, but what are we going to do about this?"

"You could always just let me, you know, do what I want," the woman drawled from the bed.

"Absolutely not," the thee men from the Enterprise said at the same time. The woman's only response was to roll her eyes.

"The only thing we can do is fix the cryo pod," Dr. Cole offered.

"Fine," Kirk agreed. "But until then, she stays in my custody. My crew handled this threat the last time, and we'll take responsibility this time as well. I'll request that she be transferred to the Enterprise as soon as she's cleared medically."

"I don't mean to be rude," Dr. Cole interrupted in a tone that said she wasn't actually sorry. "But I'm the one who knows the most about these people. She should stay with me."

"I'll request you be transferred as well," Kirk replied. "We leave in an hour. You'd better be ready." And he left. Wendy glared at his back.

After a moment or two, the woman spoke up.

"My name is Leo. Just in case anyone was wondering."


	2. Chapter 2

Almost an hour later, Leo was handcuffed and escorted to the transporter room by six armed guards, with Dr. Cole following close behind. The prisoner seemed completely unfazed by the whole thing. In fact, she almost seemed bored. Even so, she answered every question that the doctor fired her way.

"You said your name was Leo, right?"

"Yup."

"What about your last name?"

"Don't remember."

"Oh come on. It's only seemed, like, a few seconds for you and you don't remember your full name?"

"Nope."

"Ok, so . . . what about the guy you were trying to revive. Why him?"

"Khan is our leader."

"So you wake him up first?"

"Of course."

"What was your position on the crew?"

"Engineer."

"Really?"

"No."

"Look, if you're not going to take this seriously, then don't answer me at all. Ok?"

"Ok."

"What was your actual position on Khan's crew?"

Leo didn't answer.

"You're literally not going to answer me."

Still no answer. Wendy sighed in frustration, but said nothing else.

* * *

"I don't get it," Kirk said as he stared at the security feed. He and Spock were staring at the live feed coming from the brig. Leo was currently lounging on the bench in her cell, completely relaxed despite the high security.

"What do you not understand, Captain?" Spock asked.

"Her . . . like, at all," Kirk explained.

"I'm afraid I do not follow you."

"Look at her! She's the complete opposite of Khan! I mean, she doesn't seem to be in any hurry. She doesn't even seem to care."

"It would appear that way, sir."

"Screw this. I'm going to have a chat with our guest. You coming?"

Spock nodded in acknowledgment and the two men left the bridge.

It didn't take long for them to reach their destination. As soon as Leo heard the hiss of the automatic door, she sat up. She stayed there, half reclined on the bunk, and studied the two men. Kirk glared at her, but she didn't so much as blink. Although her expression seemed to changed from mildly bored to mildly annoyed.

"The captain," she drawled, sarcasm dripping from every word. "What an honor."

"Shut up," Kirk growled. Leo smirked, pissing him off even more. "What?" he snapped again.

"Oh nothing," she replied with amusement.

"Ok, listen up, because I'm only going to say this once. The last time your leader woke up, he went on a little murder spree. I watched him murder innocent people. He tried to kill me and my entire crew. So in my eyes, you're no different."

"Guilt by association, I like it."

"Did I say you could talk?"

Leo's smirk only widened, so he continued.

"You're going to answer every question I ask, and you're going to answer truthfully, got it?"

She shrugged, "Sure."

"Is Khan your leader?"

"Yes."

"Why were you trying to revive him?"

"Because he's my leader."

"I believe she is lying, Sir," Spock cut in, whispering in the captain's ear. "While it is logical that any loyal subordinate would revive their leader first, I do not think that is the case here."

Kirk narrowed his eyes, "You agreed to tell the truth, remember?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Leo sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Try me."

"No."

"What?!"

"I'm not going to tell you."

"You're not going to tell me?" he asked in disbelief. When there was no reply, he continued, "What are you planning?"

"Nothing."

"Bullshit."

"Well too bad, because it's the truth."

Kirk stepped closer to the glass, glaring. "You will answer my question and you will tell me what you and Khan were planning!"

Leo was on her feet so fast that neither man actually saw her move. She stalked toward Kirk, coming right up to the glass. And her eyes, once bored and disinterested, were now burning as she stared down the captain.

"We weren't planning anything! It's not like he had a way to give me orders! I was a human popsicle for centuries! I'm done talking."

Kirk started to say something else, but stopped when Spock put a hand on his shoulder.

"Captain, she has just woken up after centuries in suspended animation. Perhaps we should let her rest and see if she is ready to answer our questions at a later time."

Kirk nodded. He knew that his first officer was right, as always. He left the room, but Spock lingered behind.

"Please, try to understand," he said. "All of this is merely precaution. We do not wish to harm you or your people."

He waited for a reply, but none came. The woman behind the glass wouldn't even look at him. So the Vulcan nodded his head politely and left.

* * *

**Well, here's chapter two. I hope you guys like it. I wanted to introduce this story without any distractions from me. This chapter is shorter than I'd like, but it's a pretty good break in the story.  
**

**This story was co-written with a friend of mine and a good half of it belongs to her, along with the character of Dr. Wendy Cole. Neither of us owns Star Trek.**


	3. Chapter 3

Wendy opened the door to her quarters, peeking inside curiously. It was small, but not small enough to be cramped. She had her own bathroom and a small desk nestled in its own little nook. Heading straight for the bed, Wendy tossed her duffle bag onto the mattress. Not bothering to properly unpack, or even put anything away, she started pulling out the contents of the bag one at a time, and tossing them on the bed. About halfway down, she found what she was looking for.

"Bingo," she muttered, pulling out her tablet. She kept all of her research on the cryo people on this dinosaur of a tablet. She silently praised herself for never getting rid of anything.

Kicking off her shoes, Wendy relaxed on the bed. She powered up her tablet and started looking in her files for any reference to a 'Leo.' She was surprised to find a file tucked away in an obscure corner of the hard drive. And it was labeled with the name of the woman that was currently sitting in a cell on the starship. She opened it and started reading. As she skimmed the article, her eyes grew wider and wider.

Wendy didn't even bother reading the whole thing. Sitting up, she tossed the tablet onto a pile of clothes. She had never been more excited in her life. She knew who this woman was. Of all of the people trapped in those cryogenic pods, this was the one person she had always wanted to talk to.

Without hesitating, Wendy hurried out of her room and headed for Leo's cell. She found the young woman pacing and slightly agitated.

"Leo," Wendy said as she approached the glass. "Of course. I don't know why I didn't recognize it before."

Upon hearing her name, Leo turned to look at the science officer. She raised an eyebrow. She had no idea what this woman was talking about. There was no way she had made it into any history books. At least, she hoped she hadn't. She walked slowly up to the glass, looking at the doctor cautiously.

"I'm sorry," Wendy apologized. "I haven't properly introduced myself. I'm Dr. Wendy Cole. I've been studying you and your people for years. I've been looking after you guys. Making sure you're alright and your cryo pods don't malfunction and stuff."

Leo nodded. "I read about you on this tiny little computer thing they gave me. Your biography is impressive. Very progressive work. Well, at least it would've been for my time. You've dedicated your career to helping us, and I thank you for that."

Wendy smiled and Leo smiled back. There was a now a silent understanding between the two women. Wendy had found the link to the past that she'd always wished she'd had; and Leo found an ally. Suddenly, Wendy turned on her heel and hurried out of the room, throwing a quick "I'll be back" over her shoulder. Leo stared after her like the doctor was crazy. Wendy hurried to the bridge, hoping to find the captain there and not have to go on a great Kirk hunt. She was so excited that she almost forgot to ask permission to go on the bridge.

The captain saw her and smiled flirtatiously, apparently forgiving the slight indiscretion.

"Dr. Cole, I didn't expect to see you here so soon."

Wendy rolled her eyes. Was he seriously flirting with her? When they were both working? Did he even know how to talk to a woman without flirting? Probably not.

"You have to let her out," she blurted.

"Let who out?" Kirk was confused, although Spock looked over like he had an idea of who the doctor was talking about.

"Leo. Well, you don't have to, but I'm pretty certain that she's harmless."

Kirk scoffed, "None of those people are harmless."

"You don't know that," Wendy glared back at him. "But I know for a fact that she's harmless."

"You can't be sure. If we let her out, we run the risk of –"

"I know for sure!" she snapped at him. "She told me her name was Leo, but that's just a nickname. Her full name is Leokadia Aristov."

Kirk just stared at her blankly. Spock, who had been listening in, came over to join the conversation.

"She was a very outspoken activist." Wendy continued. "Born in Russia, but moved to the U.S. sometime in her early childhood. She pushed for peace and civil rights. Specifically the rights of genetically altered people. Her people. She organized marches, gave speeches, even met with political leaders around the world. There are two assassination attempts that we know of. After the first one, she disappeared for about two and a half years, but came back with a renewed sense of purpose."

"And you are sure that the woman is our custody is the same person?" Spock asked.

Wendy nodded. "I'm sure. I came across an old photo of Leokadia. The only confirmed picture of her we have. I know it's her."

"That's an impressive biography," Kirk admitted, still not entirely convinced.

"Don't you see? There's no way she could be a threat. Not if she dedicated her whole life to peace!"

Kirk frowned and shook his head. He still didn't like the idea of letting a genetically altered superhuman loose on his ship. Wendy was about to protest when Spock stepped in to offer a solution.

"While I understand the Captain's concern, I agree that we should not condemn Leo to sit in a cell until her cryo pod is operational if she proves to not be a threat."

"What do you propose?" Kirk sighed, giving into the logic of his First Officer.

"She has only been awake for a few hours. So, keep her locked up for a couple of weeks. If she does not cause any problems, then move her to an empty room with an armed guard."

"Alright," the captain agreed. "That sounds fair enough."

"Thank you, Captain!" Wendy was almost beaming.

Kirk smiled back and nodded. He liked her smile, it was genuine and bright, and it only made her more beautiful. He liked her, and he knew she liked him. Maybe this journey wasn't going to be so boring after all.

* * *

There was a commotion in the hallway. Leo sat up, alert and ready to meet any potential threat if need be. She heard the soft squelch of a fist connecting with a face, then the thump as a body hit the floor. Leo stood up and moved to get a better vantage point, because whoever was out there had to come through that door.

Sure enough, a figure rushed into the brig. He was tall, with slightly broad shoulders, wearing loose pants and a shirt, both black. Leo's heart skipped a beat. She knew who it was.

"Khan," she breathed, unable to say anything else. "But how. . . ."

He looked relieved as the rushed over to her cell, talking as he went, and immediately started to look for something.

"The cryogenic sequence apparently didn't shut down all the way. I was revived, and when I saw that your pod was empty . . . I had to find you."

Leo watched him as he found a hidden panel, punched some buttons, and opened the cell door. She stepped out, about to ask him how he knew, but he answered her before she could even open her mouth.

"This is the exact same cell they kept me in. I memorized the code when they locked me up. And took me out."

He finally turned to look at her. Leo gazed into his stormy grey-blue eyes as he reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand. They didn't stay like that for long; there was still work to do. Khan gave her a knowing smile and held out his hand. Leo reached for it.

And woke up.

**This story is co-written with the lovely TheWooze19. Who I didn't know had an account here. Oops. **

**We hope you enjoyed and please don't forget to review!**

**Also, there will probably be some sort of Christmas/holiday story coming along soon. I can't say it'll be a Start Trek fic, but it'll be full of fluff and crazyness. That much I can promise.**


	4. Chapter 4

Distressed, Leo scanned her cell for any sign that the dream was real. If any part of what occurred in her head had actually happened. But she found none. The cell– the whole brig, actually– was dark and quiet. There was someone posted at the desk, reading, and she could hear guards pacing outside.

Everything had been a dream. Leo felt like her heart was being squeezed and being torn in two at the same time. She raised a hand to wipe away the tear that threatened to fall. He wasn't here. He wasn't coming for her. And he never would.

This was not the first time she had dreamt about him. She had been on the USS Enterprise for almost two weeks, and the dreams had been happening for about as long. The worst part was not knowing. Specifically not knowing when her cryo pod would be ready. As far as she knew, the people back on earth were still "assessing the damage," as Spock called it. Leo figured that the sooner the pod was fixed, the better. Once it was operational, she could go back to sleep and pretend this never happened. While it wasn't what she'd like to do, it was better than feeling this constant pain in her heart. And it was much better than dreaming about someone she'd lost night after night.

Leo was so lost in thought, she didn't hear the door hiss open. She did hear the clicking of boots on tile getting closer to her. She looked up to see Dr. Cole walking towards her, concern visible on her face. The doctor had come by every day since the start of their journey, just to check on her. Sometimes she would stay and talk, or ask questions, even though Leo was unwilling to talk about pretty much anything. Sometimes Captain Kirk or Spock would come with her. Spock was also concerned for Leo's health, especially since she became disinterested in food. Kirk just tagged along to flirt with Wendy.

"Leo," Wendy greeted as she approached the cell. "I just got word from my colleagues back on earth."

Leo nodded, indicating that the doctor should continue. Wendy took a deep breath. This wasn't particularly good news, and she wasn't sure how Leo was going to react.

"It looks like the repairs to your cryo pod are going to take three to four months. I'm sorry."

Leo just stared at her like she'd just grown a second head. This couldn't be possible. Four months? Society was supposed to be more technologically advanced than that. It took four months to build those things for heaven's sake. She slumped onto the bunk, putting her head in her hands. There was no way she could last those four months. She'd go crazy locked up in this cell.

"Leo? Are you alright?" Wendy stepped up to the glass, concerned.

"I'm fine," the woman ground out, not moving.

Wendy was about to say something else when Captain Kirk came through the door. He made a beeline for Wendy with a huge, goofy, grin plastered across his face.

"Dr. Cole! I knew I'd find you here."

Leo groaned and sunk her face further into her hand. She really didn't need this right now. Couldn't the captain go and be lover-boy somewhere else? Wendy noticed her reaction and turned to Kirk.

"This isn't a good time, captain," she emphasized his title with a bit of sass.

"Why not?" Kirk asked, missing the hint entirely.

"Because I'm working," Wendy replied. She was starting to get annoyed.

"Haven't you talked to her enough for today?" He gestured to the cell, but Wendy shook her head.

"I think it's about time for another check up. She hasn't been eating and I need to see how it's effecting her body."

"It's not," Leo snapped.

"It's just a precaution, Leo," Wendy said gently. The superwoman just huffed in annoyance.

"Alright," Kirk conceded. "But I was wondering if you'd like to join me dinner sometime?"

"Make sure you bring a condom," Leo muttered under her breath. Wendy and Kirk turned to stare at her, but she was busy examining her fingernails.

"Excuse me?!" Wendy exclaimed. Leo looked up at her, and even though she tried to look uninterested, there was concern hiding in her eyes.

"You aren't the first, Dr. Cole. And you certainly won't be the last."

"Shut. Up," Kirk growled, stepping closer to the glass.

"How many women have you slept with, Captain?" Leo drawled. "Can you even count them on two hands? Or do you need to start using your toes?"

"Hey! Show some respect for–"

"Well?" Wendy interrupted his outburst.

"Well what?"

"How many women, _Captain_?"

"Uh. . . ." Kirk looked up, thinking. Then he smirked, "42, 37, 56"

"What the hell kind of number is that?!" Wendy asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Kirk's smirk widened, "Those are your measurements, right?"

Both women's jaws dropped at the same time. They stared at the captain in disbelief, although Wendy's expression was growing angry.

"What?" Kirk asked, confused.

Wendy shook her head in disbelief and left, refusing to make eye contact with him.

"Oh, come on, Lieutenant," the captain called after her. "It was only a joke!"

"You have some serious issues. I hope you realize that," Leo said after a pause, "No wonder you can't keep a woman."

"Shut up. I don't need any advice from you."

Leo smirked, "Your reaction tells me that I'm right. And you know it."

Kirk glared at her before storming out after Dr. Cole. Leo's smirk grew. This was going to be easier than she thought.

* * *

Kirk jogged down the hall, trying to catch up with the furious doctor.

"Oh come on, Wendy–" he said.

"Dr. Cole," she interrupted curtly.

"You're right," He started over. "Dr. Cole, I was trying to–"

"Get in my pants?"

"I was going to say 'be friendly,' but that's–"

"Then stop trying to 'be friendly.' We're professionals."

Kirk reached out and grabbed her wrist. Not hard, but enough to get her to stop and turn to face him. He flinched a little when she turned and shot glare at him. Damn she was scary when she was mad.

"I know," he interrupted before Wendy could go off on him. "We are professionals. And we haven't know each other that long. I . . . I shouldn't have said what I did. I'm sorry."

Now this was a first. Captain James T. Kirk actually apologizing for a lewd comment. Come to think of it, he'd really never felt the need to apologize before. The other women either ignored it, flirted back, or smacked him and walk away. He could vaguely recall Spock or Bones making him apologize a few times, but he'd never been sincere. But this time . . . this time was different.

Kirk let go of Wendy's wrist. He didn't want his hand to linger and give her the wrong impression. He waited a long moment for her reaction. And when she spoke, she did something else unexpected.

"You have quite a reputation, Captain. Do you realize that?" she snapped curtly.

"I . . . um . . . yea. I do," he hung his head slightly.

"Well good, because I'm nothing like those other women. You're going to have to do a lot better than that if you want to impress me."

That being said, she turned and left; leaving a very bewildered– and embarrassed– Kirk behind. As he stood there pouting, Kirk heard a low whistle to his left. Turning to look, he saw Dr. McCoy leaning in a door way. And from the expression on his face, the chief medical officer had heard everything.

"I have a new found respect for that woman," McCoy said in admiration.

"Shut up, Bones," Kirk grumped

"Oh come on, Jim. She got you good. You have to give her credit for that."

"Aren't you supposed to be my friend?"

"I am. That's why I'm telling you that she," McCoy pointed in the direction Wendy had gone, "Is one hell of a woman. Don't screw this one up, Jim."

"Thanks," Kirk grumbled, heading back to the bridge. Somehow, his friend's advice didn't make him feel any better.

* * *

**Ugh. It's a miracle I could get this thing uploaded, since my computer has decided to act old and stupid.**

**Anyway, this story is co-written with TheWooze19 and she's awesome. I still haven't decided what movie/anime/TV show/book to use in my Christmas story. So if you have any suggestions or something you'd like to read, feel free to let me know.**


	5. Chapter 5

Kirk's mood had moderately improved by the time he made it back to the bridge, although he was still sulking a little. Chekhov announced his presence on the bridge, at which point Spock relinquished the captains's chair and came over to him.

"Everything is going smoothly, captain," he said in his usual dry manner. "All decks report no abnormalities."

"Thank you, Mr. Spock," the captain acknowledged as he headed to his chair.  
The Vulcan tilted his head. He could tell that something was bothering his friend. Perhaps it was Dr. Cole. Jim had seemed interested in her since their first meeting. No matter what it was, the captain couldn't let it interfere with his duties. And it was his duty as first officer to make sure the captain remembered that as well.

"Are you alright, sir?" he asked, going to stand beside the chair.

"I'm fine Mr. Spock," Kirk said through his teeth.

"But everything points to–"

"I'm fine Spock."

Before the disagreement could go any farther, a beep came from the captain's chair. Someone was paging him on the intercom. Kirk was grateful for the distraction. He really didn't want to talk about what just happened.

"This is Kirk," he answered, all business.

"You'd better get down here captain," the voice was urgent. "The prisoner is out of control."

Kirk and Spock exchanged a glace and ran off the bridge. They burst into the brig with their phasers drawn, only to find the prisoner standing calmly in the middle of her cell, completely calm. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except the guards in the room all had their phasers pointed at her.

"You said she was out of control," Kirk said, confused.

"She is, sir," one of the men replied. "She started throwing things."

"I only threw one thing," Leo groaned, rolling her eyes.

She walked up to the glass and picked up a shallow metal bowl. The guard's phasers moved with her, never leaving the enemy. She straightened up, ignoring the weapons pointed at her.

"My food bowl," she indicated the metal dish. "I'm surprised it doesn't have 'Fido' written on it."

"It should have 'bitch' written on it," one of the men mumbled under his breath. Leo fixed him with a glare that would have melted steel.

"It's alright, gentleman, you can lower your weapons," Kirk ordered.

The guards obeyed and went back to their posts. Kirk and Spock approached the cell, putting their phasers away.

"What happened?" Kirk asked, rubbing his forehead.

"Nothing," Leo replied shortly.

"You seem distressed and agitated," Spock observed.

Leo gave him an exasperated look.

"Is something bothering you?" the Vulcan pressed.

"Not anymore," she replied.

"Well, since there's no immediate danger, I'm returning to the bridge," Kirk sighed.

Spock nodded in acknowledgment. Kirk started to leave, but paused at the door. He turned to face Spock.

"She is not leaving that cell under any circumstances. That's an order," and he left.

Spock nodded. "Affirmative, Captain."

* * *

Wendy took a seat at one of the empty cafeteria tables. While the Enterprise was the newest and most advanced starship in the fleet, the food still sucked. She had barely taken her first bite of mystery space meat, when she was joined by Lieutenant Uhura.

"How are things on the Kirk-front?" she asked as she sat opposite her friend. Wendy rolled her eyes.

"He won't leave me alone. He asks me to join him for dinner pretty much every day. It's getting pretty annoying."

"Well you keep turning him down. Don't get me wrong, Kirk is a great captain. But when it comes to women . . . well, he can be a bit of a womanizer."

Wendy nodded, "I know exactly what you mean. If he wasn't so damn attractive. . . ."

"I suppose so," Nyota shrugged.

"Oh, right. I forgot you prefer men with pointier ears," Wendy joked. Her friend laughed and nodded in defeat.

"I can't argue with that," she chuckled.

"Speaking of which, how are you and Spock doing?"

"It's . . . interesting."

"Interesting how?"

"He's so. . . ."

"Frustrating? Annoying? Clueless? Being a typical guy?"

"All of the above," Nyoa rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder if he knows what the word 'romantic' means."

"Hey," Wendy pointed her fork at her friend. "He likes you, I can tell. And he's working really hard to make you happy."

"You're right," Nyoa smiled. "He does try. And I know his feelings are genuine. I've been really lucky. And I wish I could give you some advice about Kirk, but I don't know what to say. I mean, he's been that way since we were cadets. You remember."

"Yeah," Wendy sighed. "I do."

* * *

Today was going to be the first time the cadets worked with a flight simulator. Their first year at the academy been spent in discussions and the occasional theoretical or role-playing scenario. Everything had been talked about in theory up until this point. But today the cadets were going to put what they learned into practice, and it was a big deal. Everyone was excited and nervous at the same time, especially Wendy. She was confident that she could ace this test if she took it alone. But their instructor had thrown in a catch; they had to work in teams. Assigned teams. Wendy sighed as she looked over her team mates. Why couldn't she have been put with Nyoa? She should have been put with Nyoa. Instead she was stuck with a couple of air heads, who had no business being at the academy in the first place, and James Kirk. James fucking Kirk, notorious playboy and class clown. Wendy couldn't remember a single time that he took a class seriously. He was already flirting with the other two girls on the team and completely ignoring Wendy. Not that she minded.

"Wendy, I am so sorry," Nyoa apologized as she walked up to her friend.

"It's not your fault," Wendy replied. "The groups were chosen at random. It's not like you abandoned me or anything."

"I know that, but it seems like you drew the short straw. I mean, not only are you stuck with Amanda and Jess, you've got Kirk to deal with. You'll be doing the whole thing yourself!"

Wendy put a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "It's just a simple take off and docking simulation. It should be easy."

About half an hour later, she was wishing it was as easy as she told Nyoa. The simulation room was set up so that no one person could do the entire thing by themselves. It was a good thing in the fact that it forced every person in the group to do something and not just sit back and do nothing and get credit for it. But it was bad in the fact that, if three out of four members didn't even care about the test, then the one person who did care got thrown under the bus.  
And that was the situation Wendy found herself in. Amanda and Jess were useless even on a good day. If Kirk would step up and help her, the two of them might be able to pull this thing off.

But Kirk was too busy flirting with Skank 1 and Skank 2 to even look at the sim screen, let alone actually keep his hands on the flight controls.  
They made it out of the dock in one piece, despite Cadet Loverboy scraping the hull against the sides of the dock, and Cadets Dumb and Dumber constantly asking where the controls were and what they were supposed to do next. But when it came time to bring the starship back into the dock, things really went south.

Kirk was leaning back in his chair, chatting up Jess shamelessly.

"So you're originally from Texas?" he asked the brunette with his trademark smirk.

"Yeah, it was so boring though," Jess tossed her hair and giggled.

"No, no. Texas is great," Kirk leaned over the console, his elbow almost pushing a nearby button.

"Hey! Watch it!" Wendy interrupted.

"Shut up, Cole," Jess snapped.

"Yea, Cole," Amanda added. "Shut up."

"He almost pushed the self destruct," Wendy snapped back.

Kirk looked down and immediately moved his arm back. He looked over at Wendy and smiled apologetically. She rolled her eyes at him and went back to doing what she was supposed to do. Which was more than she could say for the others.

"I love Texas," Kirk continued like nothing had happened.

"Really?!" Jess gushed.

"Oh yeah. The wide open spaces, the barbeque, those big hats. . . ."

Jess and Amanda both giggled, and Kirk's smirk widened. He leaned over again, completely forgetting that he'd almost blown them up just a few seconds ago. Wendy did her best to ignore it. Maybe if she did her part well, she'd get a good grade despite her team mates. Thankfully, they were almost done. If she could keep the ship steady for a minute longer, they would be safely in the dock. And maybe they could get by with a passing grade.

"So, if I could get your number. . . ." Kirk continued.

"Of course!"

Jess grabbed Kirk's hand, pulled him the rest of the way over the console so she could write her number on his palm. But as she did, Kirk's torso bumped the steering controls. Sirens went off as the ship swerved sharply to the left.

"Shit!" Kirk and Wendy swore at the same time. They both frantically tried to right the ship, as Amanda and Jess stared blankly at the screen, looking very confused. But it was too late. The ship crashed into the side of the docking station and the simulation ended.

* * *

Several hours later, Wendy stood outside of the instructor's office. She had a feeling that she was in trouble. She knew that Jess and Amanda had already talked to him. They had spent all afternoon complaining about it. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in," came a voice from inside, and it didn't sound very happy.

She opened the door and was surprised to see Kirk already standing in front of the desk. Captain Ross motioned her inside and she quickly obeyed, taking her place next to Kirk. Their instructor stared at them for a while before finally speaking.

"It's been a while since I've seen that simulation go that badly," he started.

Both cadets just nodded and mumbled, "Yes, sir."

"Do you want to tell me what happened in there?"

There was a long pause. Wendy and Kirk both stared at the floor, unsure of what to say.

"Well?" Captain Ross pushed. He was growing impatient, so Wendy decided she'd better say something.

"Well, sir, what happened–"

"It was my fault," Kirk interrupted.

Both Wendy and Captain Ross stared at him. He was staring straight ahead, a determined look on his face.

"It was my fault, sir," he corrected. "I wasn't paying attention."

"The whole thing was your fault?" the captain question.

"Yes, sir. I wasn't paying attention and I bumped the controls. And, may I be frank, sir?"

"You may."

"We only did as well as we did because of Cadet Cole. She did her best to keep the ship steady. If I hadn't been so irresponsible, we would have made it."

Wendy stared at Kirk in shock. This wasn't something she expected from the self-centered boy from Iowa. Their instructor nodded, although he didn't seem to fully believe Kirk's story.

"Alright, dismissed," he shooed them with one hand.

The cadets didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

Leo watched in annoyance as Wendy opened the folding chair and set it down right in front of the cell. The woman just wouldn't leave her alone. Though she had to give her credit for her determination. And she seemed to genuinely want to help.

"We need to talk," Dr. Cole said as she sat down.

"I don't feel like it," Leo replied, pacing.

"Well too bad."

Leo raised an eyebrow, surprised by her frankness, then started to laugh.

"I'm serious Leo. Something's going on with you and we need to talk about it."

"Fine," the woman sighed, dragging out the 'i' sound. "What do you think we need to talk about?"

Wendy started to answer her, but she was interrupted by Spock's arrival.

"Is Captain Love Machine not coming?" Leo asked dryly.

"It appears from her sarcastic and defensive manner that she does not wish to speak to us," Spock said to Wendy.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Leo drawled sarcastically.

"I am a commander, not a captain, Miss Aristov. You should know this," Spock replied, genuinely confused.

"Oh my god. . . ." she groaned.

"God? I did not think you were a religious person."

"Who says I have to subscribe to any one religion?"

"You seem far too logical to believe–"

"Oh my god, do not start talking about religion again," Wendy interrupted. Leo smiled.

"And you," she continued, pointing a finger at Leo. "Stop trying to distract us from the subject."

"What subject?" Leo asked innocently.

"Your dreams," Wendy replied curtly.

Leo narrowed her eyes and Wendy could tell that she had struck a nerve. She could tell that this was going to be a delicate subject.

"Leo, please. . . ."

"There's nothing to discuss," Leo spat out.

Wendy was taken aback, Leo was angrier than she had thought.

"Clearly there is," Spock shot back, unfazed. "Something has been going with you since you woke up."

"Nothing's been going on with me! That's part of the problem! I've been stuck in this cell for three weeks!"

"We came here to talk about your dreams, Leo," Wendy soothed. Leo slumped onto her bunk.

"There's nothing to talk about," she sighed. "I'm just reliving old memories night after night."

"Bad memories?" Wendy pressed.

"No, good ones. But that just makes it worse."

* * *

The conversation with Leo stayed with Wendy all day. She could understand that reliving good memories could sometimes be more painful, especially if the person was depressed or in a bad situation. But what she didn't understand was Leo's extreme reaction to them. Were her dreams really so vivid and real? That would explain why she was getting more and more frustrated about waking up in a cell day after day. Wendy also thought that the subject of the dreams might have something to do with it.

She entered her quarters and got ready for bed, still thinking about the conversation. Bones had mentioned that, before she was captured, Leo attempted to revive someone else. Khan, to be precise. Leo claimed that it was because of her loyalty to him as her leader, but Wendy thought there might be something more. Maybe it was a different kind of loyalty that prompted Leo to revive the deadly warrior.

She picked up her tablet and turned it on. Maybe she would find some clues in her research. Opening the file on Leo, she started to pour over documents and notes for any sort of clue. She searched for hours, but only found circumstantial evidence to support her theory. That is, until she came across a certain video file. It was a video of one of Leo's speeches, given at a rally in London after her two and a half year hiatus. Except this was a very special video. This particular camera had happened to record the second attempt on Leo's life; the one that almost killed her.

At first, Wendy wasn't quite sure what she saw. She re-watched the clip several times before it hit her. She enlarged the video and ran a facial recognition scan just to be sure. But there was no doubt in Wendy's mind. She knew exactly what kind of dreams were haunting Leo at night. And now she had an idea on how to fix it.

* * *

**I've reverted back to my old self. I wanted to update this story regularly, and I just kept forgetting. Although I have been kinda busy lately. But I feel like that's no excuse. It's not like most of this story isn't written out already.**

**Anyway, I decided to make this a longer chapter to make up for it.**


	6. Chapter 6

The next afternoon, as Wendy sat with Uhura and Spock during their lunch hour, she came up with an idea. So, as it came time for them to go back on duty, she turned to Spock. "Could you tell the captain that I'd like to speak with him when he has a moment?" The Vulcan raised an eyebrow, causing Wendy to roll her eyes.

"It's professional, dumbass. And, come to think of it, you should hear it, too"

"Of course, doctor," Spock replied, looking slightly embarrassed. Uhura giggled and led her boyfriend out of the cafeteria.

* * *

It was a few hours before Kirk found Wendy in the med bay, talking to Dr. McCoy.

"You wanted to see me, Dr. Cole?" He asked from the doorway. Spock was standing slightly behind him, and both men looked very curious.

"Yes, Captain," Wendy replied.

"If the information is classified, or of a sensitive nature, we can speak in one of the conference rooms," Spock offered.

Wendy shook her head. "No, it's nothing like that. It might become good gossip material, though, and you know how fast things spread around here."

Kirk nodded, he knew exactly what she meant. Nothing you said was really private on a starship, especially when everyone knew everyone else to some extent. And if the story was good enough, it spread like wildfire and usually got so butchered that, by the end, hardly any of it was true.

"If that's the case, then the med bay is the worst place to talk," McCoy said. "I swear, all my staff does all day is stand around and gossip."

"Does this information have anything to do with the prisoner?" Spock asked Wendy, completely ignoring McCoy.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Wendy asked, surprised.

"In that case, we should probably use a conference room, Captain," the Vulcan continued without answering her question.

"Alright," Kirk agreed. "Let's go."

* * *

The door had barely shut behind her before Wendy started talking.

"This is going to sound crazy. I mean, I barely believe it myself. But you have to hear me out before you say anything, ok?"

Kirk and Spock simply nodded, so she continued.

"I was talking to Leo yesterday and I think I found out why she's acting so depressed."

"That's depressed?" Kirk interrupted. "Seems very erratic and unstable to be."

"That is true, Captain, but those are symptoms of depression," Spock answered. "I, too, have seen the prisoner exhibit all the symptoms of depression."

Wendy gave both men a look. Kirk cleared his throat in embarrassment.

"Sorry. Go on, Lieutenant," he said.

"As I was saying, when I talked to Leo yesterday, she mentioned that she was having several dreams centered around her memories. When she mentioned that they were good memories, I got to thinking. What kind of good memories would drive a person into depression? I think the answer has something to do with the other person she was trying to revive."

"What? Khan?!" Kirk blurted out. Wendy nodded and pulled out her tablet. She walked over to stand between the to men so they could all see the screen.

"In going through some old research, I found several references to a relationship between Leo Aristov and Khan Noonien Singh. Specifically a romantic one. But they were all just rumors, so I never gave them much credit. Until I found this."  
Wendy opened the video file that she had discovered the night before. It was a bit long, so she cued it up to the moment she wanted to show them.

"This is a video of one of the last public speeches Leo ever gave. It was also when the second assassination attempt occurred."

"Ok, what are we looking for?" Kirk asked as she pressed play.

"Watch Leo. As she's hit, a man rushes up on stage. Pay close attention to him."

Both men watched intently as the scene played out on the tablet's screen. It was only about thirty seconds long, but it was quite powerful. The clip started towards the end of Leo's speech. Kirk only heard a couple of sentences before a shot rang out somewhere off camera. As she fell, a man jumped onto the stage, just like Wendy described. The man, whoever he was, rushed to Leo's side and immediately checked her wrist for a pulse. When a second person rushed over and put pressure on the wound, he took her hand. He held it in a firm, but comforting, grip as he scanned the crowd. When it ended, the look on their faces was a mix of shock, disbelief, and in  
Kirk's case, confusion.

"Play that again," the captain said almost as soon as the clip ended. "And could you zoom in on the guy you were talking about?"

Wendy nodded, zoomed in, and played it again. The second time around, it was obvious who the man in the video was.

Khan.

After a moment, Spock turned to Kirk and Wendy.

"That is not an interaction between a captain and a member of his crew," he said.

"Ok, so . . . maybe they were good friends," Kirk offered. It was the only explanation that made sense to him.

"I don't think so, Captain," Wendy said softly. "Look at his expression."

She went back to a part where Khan was scanning the crowd, and paused at a point where he almost completely faced the camera.

"He is clearly distraught," Spock observed. "And almost . . . afraid."

"But I don't get it," Kirk exclaimed as he started pacing the room. "Leo is someone who, as far as we know, was a huge advocate for peace and nonviolence. How could someone like her fall for a guy who is one of the most calculating, ruthless, soldiers to ever live?"

"Even more confusing is the fact that he appears to have fallen for her as well," Spock added, still staring at the image on Wendy's tablet.

"This whole thing is nuts!" Kirk said with an air of finality. "I appreciate your efforts, Dr. Cole, and I know how badly you want to help this woman. But none of this makes sense."

Wendy shrugged. "We could always ask Leo ourselves."

* * *

They entered the brig to find Leo in her usual spot; reclining on the bunk, reading. Kirk wasted no time getting down to business.

"So," he called across the room. "You and Khan."

Leo looked up from her reading. Her normally passive expression changed to one of mild shock. She hadn't expected them to figure it out, but she quickly returned her expression to her usual unreadable one and went back to reading.

"I told you that you wouldn't believe me," she said simply. That made Kirk stop in his tracks.

"Wait, that's what you were talking about? When you said that we wouldn't believe you about your reason for reviving Khan. It was because you were in love with him?!"

"Am," Leo corrected. "I am in love with him. It was a feeling we shared once. And I hope we still do."

"But why?" Wendy asked.

"Why is the sky blue?" Leo asked in response. "Because it just is."

"That is not true," Spock cut in. "There is a logical, scientific, explanation for the color of Earth's sky."

"And there is a logical and scientific explanation for attraction," Leo countered, looking the Vulcan dead in the eye. "And yet both seem to remain as some sort of unquestionable constant. They both symbolize something that was decided eons ago, before we even came into existence. We don't chose who we fall in love with. We might question it, and we might ask why, but in the end, it's just something that happens. It's like asking you to explain your feelings for Lieutenant Uhura."

Spock was taken aback. "How did you–"

"Am I correct?" Leo pressed.

"Yes," Spock admitted with a bit of difficulty. "I suppose you are."

"I'm interested to know how you figured it out," Leo addressed Wendy, changing the subject.

"I think that I always suspected something," Wendy answered. "But I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't found a video of your speech in London."

"I gave quite a few speeches in London, but I think I know which one you're talking about." Leo sat up and swung her feet over the side of her bunk, resting her forearms on her knees. "That was a very . . . nerve-wracking day. I was pretty sure I was going to die."

"Why didn't you?" Kirk asked.

"Last minute blood transfusion," Leo replied plainly. "I had lost too much blood, even with my genetic alterations. The problem was, the doctors couldn't use just anybody's blood. That's where Khan came in."

"He saved your life," Kirk said as if he still didn't believe it.

Leo nodded, chuckling a little, "It was a bit different from the last time."

"Last time?" Spock asked. "Do you mean the first assassination attempt?"

Leo nodded, "Very different, actually."

"How so?" Spock pressed.

"Because," Leo explained with a smirk. "The first time I met Khan, he'd been sent to kill me."

* * *

**Here's a little something for the Holidays (although it's not Christmas-y at all). Next time, we get to see Leo and Khan's very first meeting.****  
**

**There's sort of a winter/holiday story up now. It's called The Magician and the Healer, under the Thor section.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, here it is! The first time Leo and Khan met!**

* * *

Nights in the city were never quiet, and tonight was no exception. If anything, it was louder. The cold and the rain had not deterred the protestors in the slightest. Two hundred or so young men and women stood in the middle of a Chicago street, staring down police in full riot gear. Some carried signs demanding peace and an end to the war. Right at the front, and in the middle of everything, was a petite blonde woman. She appeared to be their leader, so when the police chief stepped forward, he turned his attention on her.

"What's your name, kid?" he asked. As he sauntered up, she suspected that he'd seen one too many western movies.

"Leo," she replied. The police chief sneered as he towered over her. It took all of Leo's willpower not to roll her eyes. Every guy thought that she should be intimidated by the few extra inches they had on her.

"Well, Leo," he spat out the name like it was dirt. "I'm going to have to ask you to take your little friends and go home."

"We have a right to be here. We have a permit," she countered.

"My office didn't get no permit," the chief shifted his weight and puffed his chest out more. Leo resisted the urge to smack him just because of his horrible grammar.

"Good thing I brought a hard copy with me, would you like to see it?" she asked with every ounce of respect she could muster, which wasn't a lot.

"Sure," the man smirked and held out his hand. Leo took a folded piece of paper from her back pocket and handed it over. The cop opened it, looked it over and frowned.

"It's a real permit," Leo said, like she was explaining it to a toddler.

"I know it is," he replied. Then he tore it in two. There were cries of outrage as the officer tore the paper into confetti and through it on the ground.

"You can't do that!" someone shouted from the back of the crowd. The police chief didn't answer as he started to walk back behind the riot shields.

"Hey!" Leo shouted, following him. "Hey asshole!"

The chief turned around to see Leo's fist flying at his face. He fell flat on his back, not expecting someone so small to be that strong.

"Scatter!" someone shouted as the police charged.

Soon there were small groups of protestors running in every direction. Leo didn't have time to see who got away and who didn't. She was too busy trying to stay out of jail herself. A cop on her right raised his baton and took a swing, forcing her to duck and roll. She felt the air as baton rushed past her temple, and she took off running.

Leo didn't want to risk taking the El– the city's public train system. Her description has probably been given out to every officer in the city by now. Instead, she kept to the side streets and back alleys until she arrived at her apartment building. It was hardly an upscale neighborhood but it wasn't the worst, either. Leo owned a small studio apartment on the tenth floor of an apartment building with no elevator. The climb didn't bother her, though. Superior stamina, an enhanced lung capacity, and several years of military-style training made the ten flights of stairs a minor inconvenience.

As soon as Leo opened the door to her apartment, she knew something was wrong. Something just seemed . . . off. And she knew to trust her instincts. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't forget the years of combat training that had been drilled into her head since she was a little girl. Leo slipped off her shoes to reduce the noise her footsteps would make on the creaky floorboards. She opened the door as quietly as she could and tiptoed inside.

She saw a figure lurking in the shadows of the living room. The man's frame was outlined in the open window. A window that Leo knew she had closed before going out. She could see his profile, as he was focused on a poster on the nearby wall. He was lean, muscular, and tall. She estimated that he was about six feet tall– almost a foot taller than herself.

"Don't linger in the doorway," he spoke up.

Leo froze. There was no way he could have heard her.

"We have the same training, Ms. Aristov," he continued. "However, I have kept my skills sharp."

"I didn't really see the need to," Leo replied, turning the lights on and shutting the door. She could now make out his high cheek bones and piercing blue-grey eyes.

"Well at least they sent someone attractive to kill me."

"Who said I'm here to kill you?" his voice was a deep baritone with a British accent. He spoke clearly and distinctly. He chose his words carefully and spoke with power and authority. Leo

couldn't help being drawn to him.

"I'm one of the most outspoken people against eugenics, but also an advocate for peace between genetically altered people and 'normal' people. They can't be happy with me."

"You're the only one of us speaking out against them," he walked towards her until their chest were almost touching. Leo never broke eye contact, showing the mysterious intruder that she wasn't afraid of him. He wasn't even the first guy that day to try and intimidate her with his height, so this was all pretty routine to her.

"So, are you going to kill me or do you want a beer first?" she asked. The man let out a low chuckle that Leo could feel reverberate in her chest.

"I'm not going to kill you," he said finally.

Leo stared. She was expecting a lot of answers, but that was not one of them.

"I've been watching you for a while," he continued. "I have to admit, I'm impressed."

"Impressed?" Leo scoffed.

The man nodded, "You're passionate about what you believe in. You're driven. And I admire that."

"So you're just going to ignore your orders and let me go?"

"Yes."

"Just like that? Come on, it can't be that easy."

"Of course it's not," he answered. "They'll try again. You can't stay here."

"Where am I supposed to go?!" Leo shot back indignantly. She was suddenly aware that they still hadn't broken eye contact and they were still standing very, very, close to each other.

"You're a smart woman, figure that out yourself," that being said, he finally broke eye contact and walked past her towards the door.

"Wait!" Leo called after him. "You didn't tell me your name."

The man stopped with his hand on the door and, with all the drama he could muster, said, "It's Khan."

* * *

There were several moments of silence after Leo's revelation. Wendy and Spock just stared in disbelief, while Kirk's jaw was practically on the floor. Leo seemed completely unfazed by their reactions and waited patiently for the three Starfleet officers to recover.

"So you fell in love with him because he donated some blood and it saved your life?!" Kirk said finally.

Leo rolled her eyes. "We were in a relationship long before that, captain."

"I still don't understand," the captain muttered.

"I assume that Leo and Khan found each other both physically and intellectually attractive," Spock offered. "I believe that you have a saying for it."

"Thank you, Mr. Spock," Kirk replied sarcastically.

Leo had stood and was now pacing her cell. Wendy looked at the woman and couldn't decide if she was looking at cat at the pound, or a tiger in it's cage.

* * *

**It's a rather short chapter, but it's a very good place to stop. I'm about to the end of all I've pre-written for this story, so there might be a longer wait between chapters.**

**And, as always, this story is co-written with TheWooze19.  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter is extra long this time. It's 'cause I love you guys.**

"Come on, let me take you to dinner," Kirk jogged down the hallway, trying to keep up with Wendy. For someone short, she walked really fast.

"I still have work to do," the doctor replied shortly.

"Why are you so against going to dinner with me?"

"Because I make it a point to not date my coworkers. Or my captain."

"Then we'll call it an apology for ruining our first simulation test."

Wendy stopped dead in the middle of the hallway, causing Kirk to almost run into her. She couldn't believe he remembered something like that. It seemed like something that the young captain would find too insignificant.

"Yea, but . . . you took the fall," she stammered. "So . . . uh . . . I think we're even."

Kirk flashed one of his brilliant smiles that would make any woman swoon, and Wendy was miffed to find that it was starting to get to her, too.

"Well I couldn't let you take the fall for my dumb mistake, now, could I? Come on, it'll be fun. I promise."

Wendy sighed in defeat. "Alright, fine."

She stopped and stared. She couldn't believe that the words came from her own mouth. "Let's iron out the details later," she said curtly, before turning on her heel and making a beeline for her room.

* * *

Spock pulled up a chair to sit by the cell. Dr. Cole and the captain had left, but he was intrigued by Leo's response to their questions. He wanted to talk to her further. Leo, however, had other ideas. She picked up the book she had been reading prior to their interrogation and sat down to find her place.

"I thought Augments possessed superior logic," the he said, trying to start conversation.

"We do," Leo replied flatly. She found where she had left off in the book and started to read, completely ignoring the Vulcan on the other side of the glass.

"Then I do not understand why you claim to love your captain," he waited for a response, but none came. Leo had raised the book so that it was completely blocking her face. "So I do not understand how someone as logical as you would do something as illogical as fall in love."

"It's in our nature. In human nature," she corrected, her voice flat.

"But you're not quite human," the Vulcan pressed.

"Neither are you," Leo shot back.

"I mean that your genetics have been altered, did the scientists not alter your emotions as well?"

"There's only so much DNA you can change before the subjects start resembling a monkey or a banana. Emotions are a tricky thing. When they removed the parts of the brain that dealt with emotions, they ended up with a half brain-dead sociopath. So the brain needed to stay intact. After that, the best thing they could do to stamp out unwanted emotions was severe indoctrination. But emotions will always come into play eventually, it's part of being human. They may be illogical, but that's how we're made."

The first officer started to reply, but Leo had gone back to reading. She obviously had no desire to continue the conversation, so he took his leave.

* * *

Wendy was practically banging her head on the wall. How could she have been so stupid? She actually agreed to have dinner with the captain! It wasn't that she didn't want to, because she did, but they were on a mission right now. Dating was not some thing you did on a mission, especially if your date was the captain. She paced her room several times before stopping and placing her forehead on the wall.

"Of all the stupid things . . ." Wendy muttered to herself.

Before she could actually start putting a dent in the wall, she heard a knock on the door. She tried to ignore it, but the person knocked again.

"Lieutenant?" it was Kirk.

Wendy groaned. She didn't want to answer it, but the captain was the captain, whether they were on duty or not. So she grudgingly opened the door to James Kirk's beaming face.  
"Dr. Cole!" he greeted enthusiastically. It took everything in Wendy's power not to roll her eyes.

"Look, Captain," she started to say.

"Jim, please. We're not on duty right now."

"I thought the captain was technically always on duty."

Kirk waved away the comment, "Technicalities. Now, how about dinner?"

"That's what I wanted to say," Wendy started again. "We shouldn't be doing this. Not while we're on a mission."

"Doing what?" Kirk asked. "It's only dinner."

"But dating on a mission-"

Kirk's laughter cut her off. It wasn't mocking or unkind, simply amused.

"It's not a date," he assured her. "We're just going to have dinner together in the cafeteria. No fancy meal, no white tablecloth, no candles. I promise."

"Oh . . . um . . . wow," was all Wendy could say. She had always thought he was oblivious to the feelings of those around him. Like he walked around in his own personal Kirk-bubble.

"So, are you ready to go?" he asked, still grinning broadly.

* * *

Several minutes later, the two entered the officer's cafeteria. Several people turned to greet the pair, but other than that, no one paid much attention. Instead of sitting at a table by themselves, Kirk lead Wendy over to a table already occupied by Scotty and Sulu.

"Mind if we join you?" Kirk asked.

"Not at all!" Scotty replied in his energetic Scottish accent.

Wendy didn't let Kirk pull her chair out for her, sitting down before he get the chance. Sulu and Scotty went back to their conversation, and Wendy found that she could slip into their banter as if she had always worked on the Enterprise. As they neared the end of their meal, Sulu turned to the lieutenant.

"So, Dr. Cole, why did you decide to study the Augments?" he asked.

"Well, I was originally a biology major," she explained. "But when I was in undergrad, I took a class on the Eugenics Wars. It was just an extra curricular class 'cause I needed the credits, but it fascinated me. So I changed my major to history, but I still minored in biology. Then I wrote my master's thesis on the Eugenics Wars, and my doctoral thesis on the Augments themselves."

Scotty whistled, impressed.

"But you're about my age, right?" Kirk asked. "How did you get your doctorate so fast?"

"You know, Jim, Most people don't take forever to comprehend a single iota of information," Bones cut in as he sat on the other side of Wendy.

"Thanks, Bones," the captain grumbled.

"So, Wendy," the doctor continued, ignoring his friend. "What got you interested in Starfleet?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute!" Kirk cut in. "How come you get to call her Wendy?"

"Because we're friends, Jim. People can be friends with more than one person."

Wendy chuckled as she listened to the two bicker back and forth. She struck up a different topic of conversation with Scotty and Sulu, until Kirk turned to her again.

"I'm still interested in what inspired you to join Starfleet," he said with his typical Kirk charm.

"It was my dad, really," Wendy confessed. "He's always loved to go stargazing. I from a small town in Illinois, so he would take me out stargazing in the fields just outside of town."

"Illinois, huh?" Kirk asked.

"Yea. It was pretty boring."

"I can relate. I grew up in Iowa."

"Oh . . ." Wendy said with sympathy and understanding.

"Yup."

* * *

Leo sat still in the darkness of her cell. Before her centuries in cryo sleep, the dark had always put her a little on edge. But now, she sat and replayed old memories. They echoed in her head like the whispers of ghosts.

_"What's that?"_

_"A saint's medal."_

_"You have a patron saint?"_

_"Mmhmm."_

_"Who is it?"_

_"Joan of Arc."_

_"The patron saint of soldiers. That's an odd choice for you._

_"Why?"_

_"Because you're not a soldier."_

_"We're all soldiers, Khan. Whether we want to be or not"_

_"But you're not. You're different."_

_"You've done a very good job of turning me back into one, love."_

The memory was shattered by the hiss of the door opening, immediately followed by someone turning on the lights. Leo took a deep breath and clenched her teeth. She really wasn't looking forward to human interaction right now.

"Tell me something, doctor," Leo drawled without opening her eyes. She didn't need to. Her enhanced hearing had picked up on Dr. Cole's distinct footsteps as she started walking towards Leo's cell.

"Didn't you sleep?" Wendy interrupted. Ignoring Leo's question to ask a much more important one.

"I don't sleep," Leo replied quickly. "Now, tell me something. What will happen to my people?"

"Why don't you sleep?" Wendy was intentionally ignoring the question.

"Because I don't want to!" Leo growled, finally opening her eyes to turn a piercing gaze on Dr. Cole. She was getting tired of people refusing to answer her questions.

The Augment's outburst didn't phase Wendy at all. She met Leo's gaze with a flat, unimpressed expression. The two women stayed like that for several moments. Each trying to get the other to back down. Finally, Leo tried another tactic. Her gaze softened considerably, she leaned forward and placed her forearms on her knees, clasping her hands.

"I just want to know what's going to happen to us," her voice had taken on a tone of humbleness.

"I'm . . . not sure," Wendy replied tentatively. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth, either. No one ever talked about it, but everyone knew the decision Starfleet command had made regarding Khan's crew.

"Why were we in a storage facility?" Leo pressed. "What do you plan to do with my cryo pod once it's fixed?"

Wendy sighed. She didn't want to lie to Leo. The woman was several centuries in the future, and had immediately been confined to a cell on a starship. She had grown to like Leo, and was starting to see her as a friend. So Wendy decided to tell her friend the truth.

"Once your pod's fixed, you're going to go back into a cryogenic sleep."

"And what if I say no?" a sharp edge had crept back into Leo's voice. She didn't like where this was going.

"You don't have a choice. You'll go back into cryo sleep and your pod will go back in the storage bay."

"What?! Back into storage?!"

"I can make sure your pod is placed next to Khan's," Wendy said, trying to placate her.

"Oh, that's a big help," Leo spat sarcastically. "What are we to you? Objects? Life-sized action figures that are really scary when you open the box? Why did you just kill us?"

"Killing you would have been cruel. . . ." Wendy couldn't look Leo in the eye. Somehow, that logic didn't make sense anymore.

"I would have been cruel? So you think keeping us in a cryogenic state, unable to find our own home unable to be alive is somehow and act of mercy?"

"I'm . . . I'm sorry," was all Wendy could think of to say. "There's honestly nothing I can do about it. Starfleet command made the decision, and I don't think they'll ever be convinced to reverse it."

"I see. . . ." Leo stared blankly at the wall of her cell, her face completely devoid of emotion.

Wendy looked at the medical scanner in her hand. She had come to do a routine check-up and talk some more about Leo and her people. But she decided it was best to come back later. Wendy looked back up at the woman on the other side of the glass. She looked so heartbroken, so defeated. So Wendy left her alone to give her time to come to terms with her fate.

If Wendy had looked closely, she would have seen the look in Leo's eyes. Because she wasn't heartbroken or defeated.

She was planning.

* * *

**Well, I've finally passed the point of what I had pre-written. Unfortunately, that means that updates might take longer, but I'll do my best to keep updating regularly.**

**As always, this story is co-written with TheWoozie13. Thanks for reading and please don't forget to review!**


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